My destiny
by QueenOfDragons2
Summary: My name is 10. 9 is sick and 7 is doing the best she can to take care of him. When I turned 6 months old, I discovered something that sent me on the path to discovering who I am, how I came into this world, and what is my destiny... Inspired by Cel's "Eternal Family" and other things. On hiatus due to lack of interest (though still wanting to finish this story).
1. The past

**Okay, this is my attempt at a 9 fanfiction that is much more like the original movie than my other story, Reawakening. And now to the story!**

The sun slowly rose over the cloud-covered horizon, gently lighting up the ruined landscape. A fair distance away from a city once known as Luxembourg was a large forest filled with dead trees. In the middle of the forest was a small, two-room cabin with a porch. It was this cabin that the stitchpunks had been occupying for the last 11 months.

9 was currently sitting on the edge of the porch, staring in the direction of the city. He had been dreading this day for a long time; it was the one-year anniversary since the demise of the Fabrication Machine. It was a reminder of what had happened, what had been lost and why…what could've been if it had never happened.

9 sighed. 7 and the twins had tried so hard to encourage him to see it in a more positive light; the others were free, and since the Fabrication Machine's head had blown up, the chances of it being revived again were, at the absolute best, incredibly slim. 9 was glad that the Fabrication Machine wasn't coming back, but it did little to relieve his guilt. Something that did relieve his guilt (albeit very slightly) was what had happened a month after they had moved into the cabin; small plants had sprouted from the ground, coming from seeds in the ground that had escaped the toxic gas and had germinated when it had rained after the others' passing. For several days, the stitchpunks had been thoroughly fascinated by the seedlings, which had grown rather quickly. By now, most of the seedlings had grown into healthy saplings. The plants were proof that life was returning to the world and they were nice to look at in general, but, after his initial fascination, 9 was saddened by the fact that the five who had died wouldn't be able to enjoy it with them. What made 9 feel even worse was his realization that if the others hadn't died and been released, it likely would never have rained, and the saplings would have remained seeds.

Anyway, 9 wasn't out here because he wanted to be alone; he was on the porch because he was also watching for 7. When 9 and the twins had woken up, 7 was nowhere to be found. They weren't surprised; she did this at least once a month. She was usually gone for a few hours.

9 sighed again. 7 had been so kind to him over the last year. Her love for him had gradually become more and more obvious. While 9 was glad that she loved him (her feelings were not unrequited), he had also gradually gotten a strange feeling. It felt like he was getting something that he didn't deserve…

Regardless of what he felt, 7 knew that 9 couldn't let go of his guilt. She also knew that living in the library (or the city in general) wasn't helping. As such she had decided to find a new home outside the city. The cabin in the middle of the woods was the perfect choice. The woods were on the side of town opposite of the ruins of the factory, yet the cabin was still close enough to the town to where it wouldn't take very long to get there. As for the interior, 7, upon entering it, knew that it hadn't been lived in since at least a few years before the Machine wiped out all life. There wasn't a single corpse in either of the rooms, there were books in the bedroom (the 2nd room) that would be easily accessible to the twins, there was a small hole in the wall of the bedroom that led out to the porch, was large enough for the stitchpunks to be able to use and could easily be covered up, and the bed would be easy for the stitchpunks to get on. It was so perfect, it was like the previous inhabitant had left it for the stitchpunks (which would have been really creepy if that had been the case).

Anyway, 9 was beginning to wonder if he should go after 7 when he spotted her slowly walking towards the cabin from the direction of the city. 9 was glad to see her, but he knew that something was wrong. For starters, when she came back after her outings, she would never walk so slowly, and she would never go to the ruins of the town if she was tired. It WAS a long walk, after all.

And what was that she was carrying in her arms…?

Insert story breaker here

For a long time, all I had known was darkness, warmth, weightlessness, and muted sounds. Then, without almost any warning, it all went away. It was quickly replaced with cold, the feeling of something pressing against my side, and a strange panting sound that went away after a while. I curled up, trying to stay as warm as I could. Then something touched my arm. My eyes almost unconsciously opened in response. What I saw was something I would not easily forget.

It was beautiful. It stared at me with a look that I couldn't understand. After a few moments, the white being slid its hands under me and pulled me closer to it. I, not sure why it was doing that, tried to squirm away. In response, the being began speaking in a gentle and familiar tone. I could hardly understand it, but it calmed me, and I let it hold me close to it.

Our skin was the same color, but looked and felt different. Our hands were also different. I didn't care about how we looked, though; there was something about this being that made me feel safe. I liked feeling safe. I could sense something in the being that felt comforting and pleasant. I didn't know what it was, but I liked it.

Feeling warm, safe, and comfortable, I quickly fell asleep.

Insert story breaker here

My sleep wasn't peaceful for long. A weird, blurry red eye soon appeared. I could sense something from it that haunted me, disturbed me. I wanted to get away, but I couldn't move. It was saying something, but I couldn't understand it. It sounded scary and menacing. And then, when it was done, it reached out with a large, grey three-clawed hand…

I woke up when it touched me. I felt so glad that it wasn't real, I started to go back to sleep. Then I realized that something was actually touching me. It had a trace of the same darkness, the same scariness as the red eye. I looked…and immediately wondered how the being could have that.

Where ever we were was dark, but I could easily see the being's face. Its skin was darker, but it looked and felt just like mine. It stroked me with its gentle hands, which looked exactly like mine. Its voice was gentle and soothing, and I could sense that pleasant feeling in the being. The being had also wrapped me in a soft, brown cloth. I didn't know why, but I didn't care; I felt just as warm as I had used to.

The first being that had touched me was sleeping nearby, and I could see flickering lights in the distance. I didn't pay any attention to it. All I wanted to focus on was the fact that I was safe and warm. I felt tired again, and I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Insert story breaker here

The first month of my life was spent learning. I learned about numbers, words, letters, definitions, and the like. 7, the first being to ever touch me, also told me why she had named me 10; she couldn't think of anything else.

I also learned what the darkness I had sensed when 9 first touched me was; it was depression. I brought it up to 7 once (more specifically, I asked her why 9 seemed sort of sad almost all the time) and she told me that it was because he felt guilty about something that had happened a year before they found me. I tried to get her to explain, but all she would say was that it was an accident caused by ignorance. From that, I got the feeling that it wasn't something they wanted to talk about.

I also made myself a loose skirt that went down to the middle of my thighs out of the sleeve of a hot pink (that was the color) dress that I found. Why? Because I was never comfortable letting the area between where my legs attach to my hips (or whatever it's called) show. Why? That I don't know. I just never got comfortable with it.

During my second month of life, I got a little bored of constantly staying in the cabin, so 7 and 9 took me outside one afternoon to show me the saplings that grew in the forest of dead trees outside our cabin. It was one of the greatest days of my life.

At the end of the month, 7 gave me a surprise; I was allowed to spend the whole day in the city beyond the woods. Needless to say, I was quite excited. Since it was dawn, I would be able to spend a long time there. The only restriction was that I come back before sunset and to avoid doing anything dangerous.

When I asked her if she could come with me, she said, "I would like to, but I can't."

I said, "Why not?"

"Truthfully, I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable going back there."

The moment she said that, I knew she was lying. The reason she wanted me to leave was because something was wrong with 9, and she didn't want me to see what. How did I know this? I just did. I also knew that if 7 didn't want me to see it, it would probably be a good idea to cooperate.

After asking her for directions, I ran off. When I finally reached the edge of the forest, not only could I see the town, but I was barely out of breath. I was surprised by my stamina.

When I got to the city, I was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer power of the place. There were no plants at all (aside from dead ones), there were bodies in every single corner of the street, and the amount of destruction was more than I could comprehend. There was something oddly familiar about it, but I didn't care. I sped through to the other side of town, barely paying attention to the destruction around me. I eventually came across something that I would never forget; the remains of a giant, metal…thing that looked as though it had once been something. In the same area, I found a helmet made out of part of a bird skull. I put it on. It was quite loose, but it wasn't too bad.

I continued forward for a while and eventually noticed an odd-looking contraption in the distance. It looked like a box with a weird horn on it. When I was close enough, though, something else caught my attention.

It was another stitchpunk, one that looked disturbingly like 9 aside from having buttons fastening its skin and it having only one eye. I went up to it out of curiosity. The other stitchpunk didn't move, and its eye stayed wide open. It was creepy on a number of levels.

Finally, when I got to it, I got on my knees and touched it…and immediately pulled my hand back. In its body, I had sensed absolutely _nothing_. I had touched things where I didn't sense anything before, but those had never been alive before, or had been dead for a very long time.

I found myself grabbing onto the other stitchpunk's arm. No, there was something; there was a lingering trace of life; this stitchpunk really had been alive once. I could also sense other things; this stitchpunk had been murdered painfully. There was something else, but I didn't bother trying to sense it.

Did this stitchpunk do something wrong? Did it do something to deserve such a painful death? No. It didn't. I would've sensed it if it did. After a while, the emptiness I sensed in its body started to get to me. I don't know exactly how long I sat there, crying, hunched over the body of someone I'd never get to meet.

When I finally stopped crying, I started to wonder what its name was. I rolled it onto its side so I could see its back. There was a 5. For several moments, I wondered why 7 and 9 hadn't told me that there had been others. Then I realized that it was to spare me sorrow for what they'd lost.

I put 5 back into the position I found it and I found myself saying, "Goodbye…5."

As I walked home, I couldn't stop thinking about 5. What was 5 like when it was alive? Are there others out there? Are they all dead? If so, where are their bodies? What killed them? Did it have something to do with 9's depression?

By the time I got back home, it was sunset. Instead of going in, I sat down on the edge of the porch with my back to the wall and waited for 7 to come.

I didn't have to wait long. After a few minutes, I heard 7 amusedly say, "I see you found my old bird skull helmet."

When I didn't respond, she said, "Is something wrong?"

I said, "Did there used to be others?"

"Oh god. You found one of their bodies, didn't you?"

"5's."

7 sat down next to me and put her arms around me. I returned the hug.

I said, "You let me go to the ruins by myself because something's wrong with 9, didn't you?"

7 somewhat guiltily said, "…Yes."

"I thought so."

After a few moments, I said, "So what's wrong with 9?"

"I think his depression's getting to him."

I had a feeling it was something else, but I didn't say anything about it.

Instead I said, "What killed the others?"

"A monster."

"Was it made out of metal?"

"…Yes. It was."

"Why did it kill them?"

"It wanted to kill all life."

"Why?"

"…I'll tell you that when you're older."

"…Okay."

With that, we broke the hug and 7 went back inside. I stayed out until it started raining. 7 had moved 9 to a rather isolated area. He was on a makeshift bed that looked somewhat hastily made. When I touched 9, I knew that whatever was wrong with him was _definitely NOT_ caused by his depression.

When I went to sleep that night, I had a nightmare where I was being relentlessly chased by the red eye, and it roared constantly. I never told anybody about it.

Everything went by pretty normally until the day I turned three months old. By then, I had discovered that I was able to communicate back-and-forth with 3 and 4 using body language. They told me that we were brought to life by a human who had given each of us a piece of his soul. Except for me; I had been given life through a different process. When I asked them by which process they thought I was given life, they started acting goofy. I haven't brought it up to them since.

Anyway, I was sitting on the bank of the stream a few feet behind our cabin and I was thinking about how the Scientist had used pieces of his own life to give the rest of the stitchpunks their lives. I'm not sure what happened next or what I thought about next, but the next thing I knew, I was back in the cabin, lying in the blankets I had first awakened in, and I was in the same area as 9. 7 was next to us. The moment she saw me wake me, she started talking to me. I found out two things; one, I had been asleep for three days, and two, 7's concern for 9 and me was starting to affect her sanity.

When I was six months old…

I sat on the banks of the stream, which had become a small river as a result of the rainstorm a few hours ago. 9 was still sick and whatever had happened three months ago had left me with minor weakness and seriously decreased stamina. I used to be able to run for an hour without getting tired. Now I couldn't run for two minutes without collapsing. At least 7 had regained her sanity the week before with my help.

I looked up at the clouds. It looked like it was gonna start raining again soon. I stood up…and I immediately became dizzy. The image of the red eye flashed in my mind as my dizziness quickly got worse. I blacked out in moments.

**Author's note: This took a lot longer to write than I thought it would. Anyway, for those of you who care, I am (sorta) planning on continuing Reawakening. I just don't have much interest in it right now.**

**I think I should explain 10's choice of clothing. Her decision to wear 7's bird skull helmet was inspired by Barn Owl Girl's profile picture. My decision to give her a loose skirt was partially inspired by the description of Infinity in the last chapter of Barn Owl Girl's "Seven Days" (which was the ONLY chapter of that story I ACTUALLY READ). For those of you who read that story, I know that it mentioned that Infinity wore a blouse, but I don't know what a blouse looks like, so I imagined a skirt instead.**

**One last thing; this story was inspired by Celestial Rainstorm's "Eternal Family", which Cel is taking a very long time to update. Cel, if you're reading this, are you still planning on reposting "The Savior Returns" before summer ends? And why can't I PM you?**

**I'm done.**

**Edit (7\18\12): I wanted the process by which 10 was brought to life to be ambiguous, but it didn't turn out that way.**


	2. Beginning of a journey

**Just so you all know, unless you read chapter 1 after 5:50 PM central time on July 18, you might wanna read it again.**

The first thing that I was aware of upon finally waking up was the sound of running water. The second thing was that I was cold. I groggily opened my eyes and saw that I was on a part of the stream bank that was covered in pebbles. Looking around, I saw that I was in a sort of ditch. I immediately knew that I was somewhere I had never been before.

I shut my eyes and sighed. As if I wouldn't have enough difficulty getting home already. Not only was I weak, but I had no idea how to get back home from here. For a moment, I was tempted to just lie there and wait to be found.

And then I noticed that I was completely dry. I squirmed to look at the stream. It moved along at a normal level and pace. Waiting to be found wasn't an option. If I had been here long enough to the point where the stream had returned to normal and I had dried off and I still hadn't been found, then I would have to get home by myself.

I closed my eyes again and groaned. I was tempted to just give in to my weakness, my pain, the cold. …But I knew that it would be pointless to do that. For one thing, none of them were severe enough to be fatal, and…there was another living being nearby. I could sense it. It wasn't a sapling; I would've known if it was.

I rolled over onto my stomach, and I was able to get onto my hands and knees, but that I was far as I could go. I then started crawling towards the being, which was a lot more exhausting than I thought it would be. It wasn't long before I fell into the dry dirt with a loud grunt.

"Hello?" The sound was faint, little more than an echo. I almost couldn't tell that it was a voice at all. I tried to give a reply, but my voice box refused to.

I looked around. The being had found a fairly nice spot. From the dryness of the dirt, this place hadn't been affected by the rainstorm, and it also wasn't cold here.

Somehow finding the strength to get back up, I continued forward, going in the direction of the voice. Fortunately, the being was on the same side of the stream that I was, making things much easier; I didn't know how deep the stream was, and I didn't want to find out.

A few minutes later, I could see something, no, two things, ahead. One was just a piece of burlap, but the other thing wasn't something I could easily recognize. Not only did I not have a good view of it, but it was pretty dark in this part of the ditch, which didn't seem as deep as the part I had woken up in.

A sudden, hoarse coughing made me stop. It was distinctly male, and it didn't sound like anyone I had heard before.

And then I realized that I was standing up. My legs were trembling, but I was standing up. Knowing it would be unwise to expend more energy than necessary, I got on my knees and started crawling toward the figure.

When I was two feet away from it, I said, "Who are you?"

More hoarse coughing from the figure. He groaned, struggling to get up. I moved about a foot closer, wondering if I should help him. He was able to sit up by himself, though, and he looked up at me…

Both of us stared at each other, unsure what to say. It was another stitchpunk, but I had no idea…

The other stitchpunk reached out his hand and said, "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

I doubted he could even if he wanted to.

Before he could say anything else, he suddenly turned away for another fit of coughing. I went up to him more out of sympathy than anything else. He looked old and frail and decrepit. It was also very obvious that he was sick and weak. Whether he was more so than 9, I wasn't sure.

When he had stopped coughing (into his elbow), he took my hand, looked at it, and said, "How did you get all the way out here?"

I said, "I fell into a stream and was carried here."

I then stupidly realized how to get home; follow the stream backwards. Why did I not think of that earlier?

The other stitchpunk said, "I see."

"Why are you so interested in my hand?"

"It looks just like…9's…"

He put my hand down with a weird expression on his face.

"What's with the look on your face?"

"Um… You wouldn't happen to live with 9 and 7, would you?"

"I do. I can take you to them, if you want me to."

His eyes lit up. "You can?"

"Yes. By the way, my name's 10. What's yours?"

"2."

"All right, 2, hold on."

With some difficulty, I was able to get him onto my back. Despite his added weight, it was easier for me to stand up.

As I walked back home with him, I talked to him, mostly to try to find a way to tell him about 9.

"So, how well do you know 9?"

"Not too well. Why do you ask?"

"Well…9 hasn't exactly been feeling very well for the last four months."

"Oh my. What's the matter with him?"

"7 thinks that his depression is getting to him, but I have a feeling it's something different."

"His depression?"

"7 said that 9 still feels guilty about something that happened about a year and a half ago, but I think he was getting over whatever had happened, so…"

"That's all she's told you about it?"

"She also told me that it was an accident caused by ignorance, but other than that, that's about it."

"Oh…"

He didn't say anything else, and neither did I. 2 deserved some rest. Twenty minutes later, though, he was still very much awake. I could sense that he was very concerned about 9.

Finally, I said, "So…did you like 9?"

2 said, "I came to love him like he was my son." The way 2's voice sounded was starting to concern me.

"…I'd offer to have you talk to him when we get back, but I'm not sure how I'd do that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was planning on putting you in this hammock that 7 made a while ago that she doesn't use anymore, and it's near where we have 9 sleep. Chances are that 9'll be able to talk to you without straining himself, but I don't want to move you around more than necessary."

"Oh, I see."

"Say…when was the last time it rained?"

"About two days ago. Why?"

I didn't say anything.

2, in response to my silence, said, "Is something wrong?"

I said, "2, just get some rest. You really need it."

After a few minutes, 2 finally went to sleep. Twenty minutes after that, I finally got out of the ditch. Thirty minutes after that, I finally spotted the cabin that was our home. By then, I was ready to fall over.

As I walked towards the back entrance (a hole in the back wall that only I seemed to know about), the red eye kept appearing in my mind, growling at me furiously. The rest of its body was obscured by thick smoke. It always was. I often found myself wondering if it even had a body besides the eye.

When I went in, I was very surprised to find that 9 wasn't in the isolated area he had been in for the last four months. Since I was too tired to be bothered with trying to think about what that could imply, I carefully placed 2, who was still asleep, into the hammock and spread a blanket over him. He looked much more comfortable.

I looked around and saw that 3 and 4 were in their usual sleeping spots on the bookcase. Considering that it was still early morning, I wasn't surprised.

Looking around a bit more, I didn't notice 9 anywhere. It then began to wonder if he might've recovered while I was gone. Of course, that was very unlikely. It was far more likely that 9 had…

No, I couldn't think about that. Just the thought of it made me feel like when I had encountered 5's body; hollow, heavy, and empty.

Strangely, I didn't see 7 anywhere either. I went to the porch to see if she was there. She was.

She was sitting on the edge with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. Her head hung down, like she was sad.

When I was six inches behind her, I stopped and 7, not turning around, said, "Hey guys."

I smiled. She thought I was the twins! "Well, just 'girl', I'm afraid."

At the sound of my voice, she whirled around and looked at me. "10!" she yelled, quickly getting up and hugging me fiercely.

I said, "You haven't gone crazy again on me, have you?"

7 chuckled and said, "I don't think so, 10."

"Good. I'd have been really worried if you had, and for more than one reason." From her cheerful voice and from what I could sense, 9 was not dead. Although…

7 said, "Where were you?"

"I blacked out and fell into the stream."

"Oh." 7 knew how weak I had gotten as a result of whatever had happened three months ago.

"By the way…where's 9?"

7 looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"When I got in, I couldn't see 9 anywhere."

7 looked alarmed. "He's not there?" By then she had broken the hug.

"No…"

"I saw him ten minutes ago and he was in as bad shape as ever…"

"So you're saying that something took 9?"

"No…"

"Well, what else could've happened?"

"I don't know, but since you, I, 9, and the twins are the only beings left in this world…"

I finally saw my chance. "Actually…that's not entirely true."

7 gave me an intense stare. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, on my way back here, I found something quite interesting."

7 didn't say anything, but her stare became much less intense. Without even touching her, I could tell that she was thinking of something much different than what I had actually found.

I said, "Come on. I'll show you. And I AM concerned about 9. it's just that I have a feeling that finding him is going to be a lot harder than we might think…"

7 sighed, sounding somewhat disappointed but tolerating it. I grabbed her wrist and told 7 to close her eyes. She did so. I led her inside, trying my best to not let her disappointment bother me. When I got to the hammock, 2 was still asleep, but his eyes blinked open as soon as I gave him a gentle shake. Upon seeing 7, he smiled, and I found myself smiling as well. I took 7's hands and put them into 2's. Almost immediately after feeling 2's metal fingers wrap around her hand, 7 gasped and her eyes shot open.

2 gently said, "Oh, 7. I've missed you so much."

7 just stood there and stared at him for several moments, stunned. Then she practically lunged into his arms and hugged him tightly as she yelled, "2! You're alive!"

"Careful," 2 warned as he returned the embrace.

I found myself smiling again. The love I sensed between 2 and 7 reminded me of the love I sensed between me and 9. I found it almost funny; I had plenty of reason to love 9 (he had helped raise me, after all), whereas 9 seemed to have loved me from the first day I met him, as though my mere presence made him happy. Other than that, he didn't seem to have any other reason to love me. True, I had helped take care of him during the first month of his illness, but I hadn't done much and what I had done was nullified by the three months of my own illness. The same was true with 7. I had more than enough reason to love her, but she hardly had reason to love me. I had helped her regain her sanity, but that had been completely by accident (I was arguing with her over being able to get out of bed, it turned into a fight, I somehow managed to knock her out, and when she woke up, she was back to normal; things were so much better after that). Her taking me home with her was almost certainly out of compassion, and compassion hardly had anything to do with love, if anything at all. (3 and 4 were like my siblings, and we all had plenty of reason to love each other.)

I then realized something that I felt stupid for not realizing earlier; 7 and 9 had done everything for me, while I had done nothing for them. I wasn't fully sure why 7 and 9 had kept me this long (caring and compassion can only go so far), but whether it was because they expected me to return the favor or because of something that I didn't know about, I had to repay the favor they did for me.

Anyway, by now, 7 had stopped hugging 2. The happy expression on her face quickly turned into a confused one and she said, "But…how did you…come back?"

2 said, "I don't know. All I can remember is a young girl in a skirt beckoning me towards her, and a giant, glowing, red eye."

I didn't know what he meant about a young girl in a skirt, but the giant, glowing, red eye piqued my interest. Could it be the same eye that I dreamed about so often, yet had no idea what it really was?

7 seemed to know what it meant; she looked thoroughly disturbed at the mention of the eye.

2 looked at me and said, "How's 9?"

I said, "Well, he seems to have disa-" And then I noticed that 3 and 4 were watching us. "Um…"

I really hoped that 2 and 7 would notice them themselves, because I would've felt REALLY awkward otherwise. Fortunately, they did.

3 wanted to go up to 2, but 4 held him back. By now, I could understand what their flickering eye lights meant.

_4, what are you doing? It's 2! He's alive!_

_How do you know that?_

_It looks like him, it sounds like him, and he's moving and talking on his own._

4 did not respond. After some encouragement from 7 and 2, she let go of 3, and he almost jumped into 2's arms. After he was done, 4 calmly went over to 2 and hugged him. I got the feeling that she had a dream about 2 last night.

When 4 was done hugging him, 2 looked at me again and said, "So, what were you saying about 9?"

I said, "Ah, yes. He seems to have disappeared."

2 looked shocked. "_Disappeared?_ What do you mean?"

"Well he's not where he's supposed to be, and 7 said he couldn't have left by himself…"

7 said, "I also told you that we're the only beings left in this world."

"Well, what else could've happened?"

"I don't know, but-"

2 promptly began coughing again. I found myself almost automatically rushing over to him. I could sense that he was in pain.

When he was done coughing, I looked and 7 and said, "I'm worried about 9, but we have to help 2 first."

7, knowing that I was right (and hopefully proving that she was still sane), nodded with a somewhat pained look on her face.

Over the next few hours, I did my best to make sure that 2 was comfortable. I gave him the softest blankets I could find (mine were soft, but they weren't the softest), put plenty of soft stuff underneath him (I think 7 said it was felt), and 7 even heated the blankets (how, she didn't say). 2 had, at one point, insisted that he was fine, but I knew he was lying. Not only could I sense he was lying, but when he suffered, so did I. When he was in pain, so was I. I had to be touching him to be able to feel it, but I could still sense his emotions. Besides…I cared about him.

Anyway, by the time I had finished, it wasn't long after noon. 2 looked a lot more comfortable. He smiled and said, "You're just like 9."

I smiled too. It was the first time that I had ever been compared to anybody, let alone in a good way…then it really struck me that 9 was missing and that I wouldn't be finding him any time soon.

2, seeing my change of expression, grabbed my wrist and said, "I miss him too. I'm sure he would be proud of what a good girl you are."

I wanted to ask him how he knew that, but I simply nodded.

I suddenly began thinking about the others. All the others, including 2, had died because of…whatever had happened. If 2 had been brought back to life (I didn't know or care how), then perhaps the others had been revived too…

1…5…6…8… If all of them were alive, then they would probably be lost, not knowing where to go, what to do, not knowing if any of the others were alive as well… And I wouldn't be surprised if they were as bad off as 2 had been, if not worse… I could hardly stand that thought…

In a tone so serious and solemn, it surprised even me, I said, "I have to find them."

2 said, "What?"

"The others. I have to find them. If they're alive too, then-"

7 said, "10, you don't even know where they are-"

"7, did you forget that I know where 5 should be?"

From the look on 7's face, I could tell that she HAD forgotten.

I looked back at 2, who now looked concerned, and said, "Four months ago, I found 5's body. I…"

I had to stop. Just thinking about it made me think about what I had sensed in 5's dead body; an empty void with nothingness where there had once been life. A dead, lifeless husk that didn't deserve to die…

I tried to finish my sentence. I ended up kneeling on the floor. I had no idea what the others were like, but the very thought of them being like that made my chest feel heavy. As for 9…I couldn't. I honestly, truly couldn't.

2 put his hand on my shoulder. That act alone made me realize just how sympathetic 2 really was. And I was really grateful for that.

I said, "Thank you."

I looked back at 7 and said, "7, stay here. When the others get back, they'll need you to help them. I don't have to remind you that you can't come with me anyway, do I?"

She shook her head.

Finally getting back up, I said, "Good. And…"

"And what?"

I went up to her…and hugged her. She quickly hugged me back. At that point, I felt like I was going to just break down and practically cry my optics out like 7 would during the time she was crazy. But I didn't. I just hugged her.

While I was hugging her, I came closer to telling 7 that I loved her than I ever had before. But I didn't. How could I?

For some reason, I also realized just how safe I felt in general; it was both surprising…and concerning.

**Author's note: This might not have been the greatest place to stop, but since it's after 12:44 AM, I really need to stop.**

**OH…MY…****ING…GOD… This chapter took SO much longer to write than I would've liked…mainly because I kept getting distracted.**

**Also, I have to admit something; I made 9 disappear simply because I couldn't think of a way for 9 and 2 to meet again without it seeming like I was putting an unnecessary amount of strain on either of them.**

**And finally, for those of you who care, I have pretty much decided to discontinue Reawakening at least for now. I will post what I have of chapter 20 simply to be nice and I will explain why I am discontinuing it in the author's note.**

**Cel, why did you block me?**

**I'm done.**


	3. Meeting the Guardian

**Oh my god, I am SO sorry! I've been SERIOUSLY busy lately… That, and lack of interest…**

I stood on the porch, staring in the direction of the city. Judging from the amount of light, the sun would be setting by the time I got to the city. I didn't care. I had to find the others as quickly as possible, or I might end up not having anything to save. Besides, why should I be afraid of the dark?

I jumped off the porch and started running towards the city, filled with an energy I hadn't felt for a long time.

I felt something pulling me towards the city. It felt like it was taking me somewhere specific. I didn't know where, but I didn't care. All I cared about was getting to the city.

When I got there, I slowed down and looked around. This time, I could stand the destruction around me. It was still overwhelming, but not as much as last time. As I walked through it, I found myself imagining what had happened to cause this much destruction: the ground shaking violently as countless screams rang out, massive fires being extinguished by the very destruction that created them, chunks of buildings falling off and some collapsing altogether.

Along the way, I found (and briefly stopped at) a place in front of a destroyed building where there was a five-pronged star (at least I THINK it was a star; it had five "arms" anyway) drawn into the ground. Ashes lined the inside of the arms, like something had been burning in them. From the looks of the ashes, whatever had been burned had been burned a long time ago.

Anyway, I felt quite comfortable here, and there was something about this place that was very familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I did know that I felt like I had come home. There was one spot in particular where I felt it the strongest, but I still didn't get why.

Anyway, after I had rested for a bit, I kept going. I eventually ended up at the remains of the giant metal monster again. There was something about its appearance that seemed different, but I couldn't tell what it was. It was definitely starting to rust and it seemed very slightly smaller, but there was something else that didn't seem right. It felt like it was right in front of my face, and yet, I couldn't see it. It was starting to frustrate me.

Anyway, I just so happened to be looking at one of its claws when it seemed to move. Needless to say, I got really scared. I quickly backed away, afraid that the entire thing was going start moving. And then I tripped over one of the thing's other arms. The cry of surprise I let out sounded surprisingly more like a squeal than a scream.

The moment I regained my senses, I heard the crunching of debris under heavy, metal feet. I immediately wanted to run away, but I felt almost paralyzed. The footsteps were getting closer, and they sounded quick.

Suddenly, a tall and large figure came out from behind the metal monster's head. He was holding a long, sharp-looking piece of wood over his head, and he was yelling loudly. And then he got close enough for me to see his face. It was another stitchpunk.

"Stop!" I shrieked.

The moment he heard my voice, he abruptly stopped and dropped the piece of wood. Now that his arms were down, I could see the 8 on his right arm.

He stared at me with a confused look on his face for several awkward moments before he said, "Who are you?"

Relieved, I said, "10." I sounded really tired.

8 lumbered up to me and bent down, crouching next to me. Even though he was almost at eye level with me, he was still REALLY intimidating. He seemed pretty concerned, though.

He said, "Are you all right?"

I said, "Yeah, I'm just…really tired…"

I almost fainted during those last two words. 8 immediately caught me in his arms. I blacked out for a few seconds, but after that, I was fine. 8, on the other hand, looked really concerned.

I said, "I-I'm okay, I'm fine." 8 still looked concerned.

"So 8, how are you doing?" I said, looking at the cloth wrapped around his left arm.

He looked at it and shrugged somewhat indifferently. "Eh, I woke up and my arm hurt, so I put this on."

I felt a sudden pang of curiosity. "Do you remember anything that happened before then?"

"Um… I remember being imprisoned by some machines, but that's impossible…"

"What kind of machines?"

"The ones built by that thing." He pointed at the remains of the giant metal monster.

"Oh. So…what happened after you woke up?"

"Uh, the factory was all ruined so I left and then I found 1 and-" I nearly jumped.

"You found 1? Is he all right? He is one of us, right?"

8 somewhat annoyedly said, "Of course he is. What did you think he was?" There was a hint of concern in his eyes.

"I was just making sure. So, how is he?"

"His hand is hurt. I look after him." The expression on his face alone let me know that there was more to it than he was telling.

And that was exactly what I told him.

8 sighed and said, "He's not doing well. At all. I've done everything I can but…it's not enough. If nothing's done soon, he'll…he'll…" 8 sighed again and put his hand on his face. "10…please tell me that you can help him."

I said, "I can take you guys home. Everyone else there will help you two."

"Thanks." His voice sounded shaky, as though he was about to start crying.

"You're welcome. Now, please take me to 1."

To my surprise, instead of helping me get up, he picked me up and started carrying me in his arms.

I said, "Um, 8, are you sure this is necessary?"

8, with a gravely serious look on his face, said, "Very."

As 8 carried me away, I looked back at the monster and felt glad that I would never have to see it again.

**Author's note: Wow, this chapter ended up being a lot shorter than I expected. For those of you who are thinking that 8 seems a lot smarter in this chapter than in the movie…that was on purpose.**

**Yes, I know that annoyedly isn't actually a word, but I couldn't think of anything else.**

**Oh, and for those of you wondering why 10 suddenly blacked out, she was suffering from a relapse. She won't have those often, though.**

**I think that's all I wanted to say.**


	4. The sick elder

As 8 carried me through a clearing in the city with dead trees and a rusty metal…thing (it might've been a playground once), I said, "I forgot to ask this earlier, but how long has it been since you woke up?"

8 puckered his lips and said, "I think, about…three months? Yeah, I think it was about three months. Why?"

"Just wondering." I immediately wondered if 2 had been brought back at the same time 8 had. If so, then maybe my sudden blackout three months ago had something to do with it…

Anyway, 8 finally put me down in front of a section of barbed wire that looked like it had been torn through. After we went under it, I noticed a tiny, flickering, white-orange light from behind a stack of sandbags. I immediately realized how nervous I was. After all, I had no idea what he was like.

"8? Is that you?" A grizzled old voice called. It was severe and grim, but also strained and weak.

"Yeah, and 10." 8 said as we walked around the corner. 8 had built a sort of shelter for himself and 1. It was essentially two rusted slabs of iron supporting a tin sheet with the sandbags making up the third wall. There was a small fire in the middle of the shelter. As for 1 himself, he was sitting in the farthest corner, the tiny fire in from of him making his skin look like it was yellow. He was holding his left hand to his chest. As for his physical condition…8 hadn't been exaggerating. I swear, I thought he was going to just die right then and there. He looked really old, and his eyes looked worn and weary. His body looked really weak and tired. He also looked really irritated.

"Ten? Ten what? What on earth are you talking about, you-" 1 irately started, but then stopped short as he spotted me. His eyes went so wide, they looked like perfect circles. I froze, unable to take my eyes off him. We stared at each other for several awkward moments.

"Oh…I see…" 1 said softly, dropping his eyes. The tension in the air went away, and I was able to hurry to him.

"1," I whispered, crouching beside the old man. Now that I was next to him, I could really tell just how bad off he was. What I could sense of him only amplified my fear. "Oh 1, I-I… Let me see your hand."

I reached for his injured hand, reluctant to actually do so; if I touched him, I would know exactly how he felt, and I didn't want to.

1 hesitated, keeping his eyes averted from mine, then rested his hand in mine – or rather, what was left of it.

"Oh…your hand… What happened?" I asked, horrified. His hand was almost completely burned away. His metal palm was warped and twisted, and only his thumb and one other finger, which was broken, were on his hand.

He simply said, "It was burned away in the explosion…the night in which your father defeated the Machine," 1 said softly, finally looking up at me.

I had not expected him to say that. "M-my what?"

"9. Your father."

I nearly burst out laughing. "H-hold on… You honestly think that 9…is my dad!?"

"Yes…" 1 sounded surprised.

I couldn't resist letting out a few chuckles. "1… When we get back home, and when you've recovered some…we're going to have to have a talk about this."

1 didn't answer. Instead, he turned away in a fit of coughing. I almost panicked. I needed to get him home as soon as possible. I had wasted enough time already. The absolute last thing I needed was…you know what? I'm not gonna say it.

I looked over at 8. He had been unsuccessfully trying to keep the fire from going out.

"8," I said. He looked at me. "Carry him. We're going home." 8 got up, lumbered over to us, and very carefully picked up 1. All of us knew that 1 was barely strong enough to talk, let alone stand up. And yet…he refused to let it show. I couldn't help but admire him a bit for that.

I led them out of the shelter and towards home. I was very glad that 8 still had his strength; otherwise, getting them home would be a LOT harder.

Anyway, we had gotten halfway through the town when 1 said, "…So…how are…9 and the twins…and…7…doing?" I noticed him grimacing as he said "7".

I said, "7 and the twins are doing fine. 9 on the other hand…"

8 said, "What?"

"…He's disappeared."

"Disappeared!?"

"Yes… I don't know what happened, but…he should be okay." The last part came out automatically.

I heard 1 mutter, "There's that, at least…"

I impulsively said, "Don't talk, 1."

8 said, "…So do you think that 7 will-"

I knew what he was going to say. "I know 2 will be willing to."

Since I was looking in his direction, I could see 1's eyes widen. "2 is…alive…?" He immediately went into another coughing fit.

"Yes, 1, please don't talk anymore." From the look on 1 and 8's faces, I must have sounded heartbroken. And you know what? I think I felt it too, because it pained me to see 1 in the condition he was in.

After that, we continued on without talking. I say "without talking" instead of "in silence" because 1 kept going into a coughing fit. Every…five…minutes. Every time he did, he sounded like he was going to suddenly die.

After an hour, we FINALLY got to the cabin. Just in time, too; 8 was getting tired. After helping him get on the porch, I noticed flickering lights at the hole in the wall that was the entrance to the room we lived in. 3 and 4 quickly rushed forward when they saw 1. By now, the only obvious sign that 1 was still alive (aside from his horrendous coughing) was his occasional blinking.

The twins looked at me worryingly. I quietly said, "3, take them to 2. He can handle it."

3 nodded and led 8 to the hole in the wall. I waited until they were out of sight before talking to 4; the look on her face alone let me know what she was thinking.

"4, don't worry; he'll be fine, I can feel it."

It didn't do much to reassure her, but it was worth a try. At least I was honest.

To my surprise, she then hugged me. I didn't even try to push her away; I was actually quite welcome to it. By the time she let go, 3 had come back outside.

_10, can't you stay for a while? We've all missed you._

"4, I still have to find 5 and 6, remember?"

She looked a little disappointed, but she seemed like she understood.

"By the way…where is 6?"

In response, 4 projected a picture of the canyon onto the wall. 3 came over to us.

"He's near the canyon?"

3 slowly shook his head.

My eyes widened in horror. "No… Don't tell me that he's IN the canyon!"

3 nodded.

"I asked you not to tell me that."

**Author's note: For those of you who are wondering why I haven't updated for so long… High school…is tiring…**

**I meant to finish and post this soon after I posted chapter three… Sorry to make you wait…if I have any readers of this story left. If I do, even if you aren't a regular reader, please, please, review. As a writer, there is nothing I enjoy more than hearing what other people think of my stories.**


	5. The Striped One

**And now to pose a question to you all; if the bridge over the chasm (the only known way of getting to the ruins of the factory from the town) is still destroyed, then how was 10 able to get over the chasm to where 5's body was (which was left on the side the factory was) during the first chapter?**

…As much as I wanted to go after 5…since 6 had fallen into the canyon…I had decided that perhaps it would've been a better idea to go after 6 first.

After a bit of searching, I had found a very long coil of a light but strong metal (what it was made of, I have no idea). By the time I got to the canyon with it, the sky was starting to show the first signs of sunrise. Just as I was wondering what I was going to tie the end of the coil to, I noticed some twisted, warped metal and some broken wood on the edge of the canyon. I wasn't sure what it was supposed to be, but there were plenty of places where I could firmly tie the end of the coil.

When I started climbing down, I made sure to not try to look and see how deep the canyon was; I didn't know if I was afraid of heights, but now was not the time to try and find out. I instead focused on climbing down as quickly and carefully as I could.

…I don't know why, but twenty minutes later, when I got to the edge of a thick mist, I got a very strong feeling that I was being watched. I didn't bother looking up, though; as long as the coil wasn't untied, it didn't matter.

Anyway, when I cleared the mist, I finally let myself look down. There wasn't that much farther to go before I would get to the bottom. There were a lot of big rocks, and a shallow river in the middle that took up half the ravine. As I kept climbing down, for the first time in my life, it struck me just how small and fragile I really was…

Anyway, when I got to the hard, rocky surface of the chasm, the first thing that really struck me was how dark it was, which was mainly because of the mists. They weren't as thick as they had been higher up, but they still kept me from seeing very far (case in point, I couldn't see the other wall, but I could just make out the other river bank). Because of the darkness, there weren't any plants.

I don't know whether it was because of the gentle sounds of the slow-moving river, the slightly golden mists, or the fact that I hadn't gotten any sleep at all the night before, but I found this place quite calming. It would've been more so if it wasn't so cold and wet.

And then I noticed something weird in the sand. Half of it was gone, but something had clearly drawn it. Looking around, I noticed several more drawings along the entire bank, some even splattered with black stuff…

6.

Concentrating really hard, I could just barely sense something much further up the river, and I seriously couldn't tell what it was. Apparently, my lack of sleep was affecting my ability to sense things around me.

Anyway, I ran in the direction of whatever I sensed. Along the way, I saw a bunch of other drawings. One or two of them were of a circle with three strange shapes in it. As for the rest of them…I had absolutely no idea what they were supposed to be. A few of them might have been words, though. (9 had been mostly the one to teach me to read; by the time he got sick, I had learned how to recognize letters, though I still couldn't read. Over the next month, the twins had tried taking up that role, though they couldn't really do anything. When I got sick and 7 started going insane…well…let's just say that trying to read was impossible.)

Anyway, after I-don't-know-how-long, I finally saw, up ahead, something lying curled up on a rock next to the river. It looked frail and broken, and it wasn't moving at all. His hands were clutched to his chest. Small ropes attached to his head drooped with moisture from the mist. My heart sank and I immediately began running towards the lifeless form of 6. "NO! 6!"

I dropped to my knees next to 6. My hand shook as I touched his right shoulder. There was a big rip in it, and another tear in his thigh. I gently shook him, maddeningly hoping that he was still alive. I didn't care at all about his slightly strange appearance. 6 didn't move, but then I noticed his finger twitch. Then I could hear him making breathing sounds; they sounded labored and raspy. 6 slightly curled into himself, his eyebrows furrowing. I gently stroked his shoulder, hoping that it would help him wake up.

"6, c'mon, wake up. Please, wake up," I begged softly, shaking him again. 6 gave a light groan and sighed. He tensed up, opening his mismatched eyes. He slightly lifted his head, looking into my eyes. He blinked wearily and gave a soft smile.

"I knew you'd find me, 10," he whispered softly, reaching out to touch my arm. I had no idea how he knew my name, but to be honest, right then, I didn't really care. I was just glad he was alive. …And…to be honest…I hadn't really been trying to expect anything, but if I had to guess what 6 looked like, I would never have guessed that he had vertical black and white stripes, an eye that was larger than the other, "hair", or pen nibs for fingers.

Anyway, I gathered him into my arms as carefully as I could and hugged him tightly. I know it probably wasn't the best thing to do, but I just felt this…NEED to try to assure him that he would be okay.

"Don't worry… You'll be okay…" Even though I knew that that was true, as soon as I finished saying that, I felt a surge of sadness and loneliness and longing (for what, I didn't know) in me. My chest felt heavy and empty and I almost started crying (which would've been one of, if not THE the worst thing I could've done at that point; might've made him think that I thought he was going to die).

"Don't…don't be sad… You saved us… B-brought us back…" …Was he implying that I was somehow responsible for bringing the others back to life? …I had no idea why, but that idea made a lot of sense to me.

Anyway, he leaned into me and sighed. I could tell that he was extremely weak.

"D-don't be scared… I'll…I'll look after you…I promise…" Those words, even though I had never heard them before, were painfully familiar, and if I had a literal heart, I would've sworn it was being torn apart.

I gently cradled 6 in my arms, trying to keep him upright so he wouldn't go back into unconsciousness. 6 looked up at me with weary eyes, and then smiled softly.

"Don't be sad, 10…my niece… You saved…all of us… Even-… Thank you," he whispered, holding my left hand tightly. I blinked. Niece? What was a niece? And who else had I saved? I was tempted to ask him the latter question, but I had a feeling that he wouldn't have told me even if he was in perfect health.

Anyway, I smiled down at 6, the feeling in my chest having strangely gone away. 6 smiled back, though I could sense a slight uneasiness in his smile. I then gently shifted 6 to where I could put an arm around him, helping him stand as I got up.

I quickly realized that he wasn't going to be able to walk. 6 was shaking a lot, and dirt streaked across his legs and torso. The number on his back was almost completely covered. His hands shook violently, and he wasn't even able to grab the key around his neck. 6's skin was wet and cold, and the poor guy clearly hadn't been warm or dry since he had been revived. His poor, fragile fingers were coated with mud and sand.

"C-cold," 6 muttered, bringing his hands to his chest. I put an arm around him. He seriously needed care, warmness, and rest. I had no idea how 6 ended up in the canyons, but that wasn't important right now. What was important was getting him out of the canyons and back home without hurting him even more.

"I know. Don't worry, I'll get you home. 2's there." I could sense that 6 already knew that 2, and the others, were alive.

"I…I…don't know if…if I can climb," 6 said softly, shivering. He flexed his fragile fingers and looked at me with wide, tired eyes.

"You don't have to climb. Just hold on." I shifted him onto my back, holding him as I had been holding 2 when I was taking him home (it was hard to believe that I had only done that yesterday…). Fortunately, 6 was smaller, and therefore easier to carry. 6 wrapped his arms around my neck and sighed as the pressure was taken off his legs.

I didn't really need to to know how he was feeling, but I could sense his extreme relief at being rescued. Which made what I was doing all the more satisfying.

When I got back to the rope, I looked back at 6 (whom had become rather quiet), made sure he had a good grip on me, and said, "You ready, 6?"

6 blinked, and then nodded, droplets of water flinging off his hair. He was so tired, but he couldn't rest, not until he was safe and warm again.

I grabbed the rope and started climbing, going slowly so as to avoid hurting 6 even more. I was about halfway to the mists when it struck me that it was going to take me a LONG time to get back to the cabin. Even walking at a normal pace would have taken me at least three hours to get from the canyons to the cabin; carrying 6 on my back would extend that to four or five hours. Oh well. I'd just have to deal with it.

Anyway, when we cleared the mist bank, the sudden, bright sunlight made my eyes sting a little bit. 6 tried to bury his face in my shoulder; he had been in the dark for so long, the light hurt his eyes. I kept climbing.

About halfway up the cliff face, I noticed a strange…buzzing sound that felt like it was coming from my head. I tried to ignore it…but I couldn't help but notice that it seemed to be getting louder as I climbed higher.

Finally, after over an hour of climbing, I grabbed the cliff edge. I was able to heave myself and 6 over the edge. By then, the buzzing sound had turning into a distorted static that sounded really creepy. The feeling that I was being also came back.

Anyway, I silently rejoiced the fact that I was on solid ground again. 6 slid off my back and onto the dusty dirt. He laid on his side, eyes half-closed and him making labored breathing sounds. I sat down next to him and put my hand on his arm.

"6, you okay?" I asked, waiting to regain feeling in my numb arms before doing anything. He looked up at me and slowly nodded. He even gave a brief smile at me.

As cold and wet as I was, 6 was much more so. His body was cold to the touch, and I could still feel the sand that was stuck to his skin.

"Heh, you could use a good cleaning-off when we get home, couldn't you?"

6 smiled and gave a small nod. Suddenly, his eyes got wide, his face fell and he grabbed his key.

I said, "What is it?"

He was silent for several moments before saying, "N-nothing. I-I was mis…mistaken."

I knew that he was lying, but I went along with it. I carefully picked him back up, sensing his fear.

I walked through the town nonstop for the rest of the morning, a sense of urgency, fear and the incessant static driving me forward. I almost could've sworn that something was actually pushing me.

I felt very anxious, but I felt like I had been in situations much more dangerous than this, which was both surprising (because I hadn't)…and concerning.

**Author's note: WHY. DOES. IT. TAKE. ME. SO. LONG. TO. WRITE. THESE. CHAPTERS?**

**Bet you didn't see that ending coming, did ya? …Neither did I.**


End file.
